Today’s topic is also from the “idea” folder (yesterday’s blog). I went this Notes cafe in Covent Garden last September, so there may be some changes since then.

Central London is the difficult place to find a good independent coffee shop, and is occupied by big coffee chains who can pay an expensive rent in the premium location. Notes is one of the few places that offer “non mass-produced” coffee in the area. Opened by Rob Robinson and Fabio Ferreira, who run five Flat Cap coffee carts throughout London including Borough Market, Notes is a mini-coffee chain that owns three cafes in Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and Tileyard in north London (see the locations). As written on its exterior and their website, Notes offers something I can’t live without: coffee (though I am a tea-drinker as well), food and wine. When I check the internet, some websites call “Notes Music & Coffee”, so I guess they offer good music as well, as its name suggests, though I didn’t notice when I was there. They also hosts variety of events related to their specialty; coffee, food, wine and music.

Their espresso is roasted by Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and Notes’ roasts are lighter to create more delicate flavours. They also have a dedicated brew bar for their rotating menu of filter coffees. Their seasonal loose leaf teas are from a boutique tea trading company of Lalani & Co. Foods at Notes are seasonal and home-made, and are served throughout the day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their charcuteries are supplied by The Ham & Cheese Company who source direct from butchers and farmers in Italy and France, and their cheeses are from Mons Cheesemongers who bring their produce from St Haon le Chatel in France every week. I haven’t tried their wine, but they have a unique system of a flat ‘corkage’ charge of £8 over the retail price of all wines, to allow their customers to reasonably enjoy their selection of wines.

The cafe was very relaxing, and M’s sandwich and salad were fresh and tasty, and my lightly toasted banana bread was irresistibly good. However, due to its prime location, the weekend may be a nightmare and probably you have to wait a while to be seated.

When I was a student in Japan, I often met up with my friends at an American cafe called “Speak Easy.” I found the place with the same name the other day, when we were on Carnaby Street. I couldn’t resist to take a look at it, with a little bit of sentiment and the word “espresso” in its name.

Split over ground floor and basement, Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar is two coffee bars in one: espresso bar upstairs; and a Brew Bar downstairs, where you can enjoy any kind of coffee from filter to syphon and to other home coffee making equipments such as macchinetta, brewed by highly trained and knowledgeable baristas. Opened in September this year, Speakeasy is a part of Coffeesmiths Collective, which is a network of quality coffee shops in Central London. In addition to their espresso blend is roasted by Coffeesmiths, they have two new single estate coffee from some of the UK’s best roasters every week – which means that you can sample hundreds of different coffee each year. Other than quality coffee, they also serve freshly made sandwiches and salad as well as cakes.

Good coffee and good food, but I don’t like the painting hanging on the walls…